498 



CrtHtfttrg of Natural 



remains of the breeding-place near Shelby- 

 ville, and was traversing the woods with my 

 gun, on my way to Frankfort, when, about 

 ten o'clock, the Pigeons which I had observed 

 flying the greater part of the morning north- 

 erly, began to return in such immense num 

 bers as I had never before witnessed. Coming 

 to an opening by the side of a creek called 

 the Benson, where I had a more uninter- 

 rupted view, I was astonished at their ap- 

 pearance: they were flying with great steadi- 

 ness and rapidity, at a height beyond gun- 

 shot, in several strata deep, and so close 

 together that, could shot have reached them, 

 one discharge could not have failed of bring- 

 ing down several individuals. From right 

 to left, as far as the eye could reach, the 

 breadth of this vast procession extended, 

 seeming every where equally crowded. Cu- 

 rious to determine how long this appearance 

 would continue, I took out my watch to note 

 the time, and sat down to observe them. It 

 was then half-past one ; I sat for more than 

 an hour, but instead of a diminution of this 

 prodigious procession, it seemed rather to 

 increase both in numbers and rapidity ; and, 

 anxious to reach Frankfort before night, I 

 rose and went on. About four o'clock in the 

 afternoon, I crossed Kentucky river, at the 

 town of Frankfort, at which time the living 

 torrent above my head seemed as numerous 

 and as extensive as ever. Long after this I 

 observed them in large bodies, all moving 

 in the same south-east direction, till after 

 six o'clock in the evening. The great breadth 

 of front which this mighty multitude pre- 

 served would seem to intimate a correspond- 

 ing breadth of their breeding-place, which, 

 by several gentlemen who had lately passed 

 through part of it, was stated to me at several 

 miles." 



Having endeavoured to make a rough cal- 

 culation of the numbers composing this mass, 

 he believes that, at the lowest estimate, there 

 were 2,230,272,000 Pigeons ; that they ex- 

 tended full 240 miles in length ; and allow- 

 ing each bird to consume half a pint of food 

 daily, it would amount to 17,424,000 bushels 

 per day I 



PASSERINE, or PASSERINE BIRDS. 

 The name of a most extensive and varied 

 order of birds, which feed on insects, fruit, 

 or grain, according to the slenderness or 

 strength of their beak. They have all short 

 and slender legs, with three toes before and 

 one behind ; the two external toes being 

 united by a very short membrane : all the 

 toes are slender, flexible, and moderately 

 elongated, with long, pointed, and slightly 

 curved claws. [See IXSKSSOKBS.] 



PATELLA. [See LIMPET.] 



PAUSSLIX.E. A family of Coleopterous 

 insects, the various species of which are small 

 in size, varying from a quarter to half an 

 inch in length ; but containing amongst 

 them some of most remarkable form. The 

 body is of a firm consistence, and of an ob- 

 long, quadrate, subdepressed form, narrowed 

 in front ; the head small, and generally 

 narrowed behind into a neck ; the antennae, 

 which are the most singular parts of these 



insects, are of a very large size, composed of 

 two or more joints, of a very irregular con- ! 

 structiou ; the elytra are broader than the '. 



rest of the body ; the legs short, strong, and : 

 compressed. These extraordinary inst-cts 

 appear almost exclusively to inhabit the Old j 

 World ; but lately a species has been de- i 

 scribed which was found by Mr. Miers, the 

 eminent traveller and botanist, in South 

 America. They are rare, and little is known 

 of their habits ; but they are believed to be 

 nocturnal, and are said to crepitate like the 

 Bombardier Beetles (Brachinidce), while re- 

 cent dissections have shown that in other 

 respects they are not very distantly removed 

 from that tribe. They are found about the 

 nests of ants ; and those who are desirous 

 of studying the many curious species of these 

 insects must consult the monographs of them 

 given by Mr. Westwood in the Linnacaii 

 Transactions, in the Arcana Entomologica, 

 and in the Transactions of the Entomological 

 Society of London. 



PAVONIA. A genus of Zoophytes, con- 

 taining many foliated species of great beauty; 

 specimens of which may be seen in the fine 

 collection at the British Museum. Our figure 



NATORAI, POSITION. 



represents a portion of a specimen of the 

 Pavonia lactuca, or Lettuce Coral, in which 

 the Zoophyte as well as the Polypidom are 

 exhibited. It is copied from one of the 

 finely illustrated recently published French 

 works. 



PEACOCK. (Paw.) A genus of splendid 

 Gallinaceous birds, of which but two species 

 are recorded, viz. the Common Peacock and 



